Staten Island elected officials sound alarm after resident could not reach 911 to report unconscious man

A bipartisan group of Staten Island elected officials sent a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Robert Barbera, Deputy Commissioner of The Public Safety and Emergency Management Division, in response to an Advance/SILive.com report that residents were unable to reach emergency service call centers earlier this week.

The letter was signed by Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, Borough President Vito Fossella, D.A. Michael E. McMahon, Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Sen. Andrew Lanza, Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks, Councilman Joseph C. Borelli, Councilman David Carr, Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, Assemblyman Michael Reilly, Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo and Assemblyman Charles Fall.

The letter comes days after a resident said that she and other good Samaritans were unable to reach an operator for 911 after they found a man lying unconscious on a sidewalk in New Dorp Beach on Monday. A couple of passersby eventually used their cell phones to call directly to the 122nd Precinct and to EMTs they knew, the woman said.

“Ensuring public safety and access to emergency services continues to be a top priority for all New Yorkers,” the officials wrote. “In an emergency, our constituents understand that every minute counts. It is critical that EMS, Fire, or Police are dispatched in a timely manner, as this can make the difference between life and death.”

The letter goes on to question whether the city would be able to manage during possible major events such as a terrorist attack, Sandy-like hurricane, or pandemic, given Monday’s incident. It also points out that the city has made cuts to both NYPD and FDNY. “The safety of citizens cannot be jeopardized by staffing cuts or any hiring freezes that may be due to city budget cuts.”

“During the time in question, the 911 system was experiencing high call volumes,” according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. “The NYPD received the call for the unconscious male at 19:44 hours and was on scene by 19:53 hours. EMS responded and transported the individual to Staten Island University Hospital. The 911 system was not down at any point yesterday.”

The city Office of Emergency Management referred the Advance/SILive.com to the mayor’s office and the NYPD. The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.